Mar 13, 2015

Mad Cap: "Lady Lazarus"

Alexis Bledel

Welcome to Mad Cap: a daily rundown of every episode of the acclaimed AMC series Mad Men. During this time, I will be compiling my thoughts and highlights as we travel through every moment and season of the Emmy-award winning drama that has come to define modern TV. The goal is to be a refresher on every moment for Don Draper and his band of advertisement executives leading up to the final season. Stay for all of the shocking moments and the brilliant acting performances, and make sure to chime in with your thoughts and criticisms on why the show means something to you.

Season 5, Episode 8

"Lady Lazarus"

"Come on, reality got her. You work

your ass off for months, bite your

nails - for what? Heinz Baked Beans."

- Stan Rizzo (Jay R. Ferguson)

Plot:

The pressure to excel at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce have gotten to Megan Draper (Jessica Pare). She decides that she has had enough and decides to quit in favor of pursuing an acting career. This leads Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss) to become completely mad because she believes that Megan had potential. Meanwhile, Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) meets Beth Dawes (Alexis Bledel). They fall in love only to later realize that she is married to someone that Pete knows from his train commute home. With Megan gone, everything continues and Don tries to pick out a song for a new advertisement that is supposed to spoof The Beatles' "A Hard Days Night." The episode ends with Don listening to The Beatles for the first time and taking in the psychedelic vibes of the "Revolver" album.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Jessica Pare

MVP:

Megan Draper (Jessica Pare)

It is a simple episode with only two stories to really dissect. The more prominent of the two is Megan, who finally gives up her job at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce to do acting. Everyone around her is either supportive or jealous of her bold decision. However, she manages to come across with confidence and leaves a bright future ahead. Will she fail? There's not an ounce of proof to suggest that she will in this episode. In fact, it ends right as she is heading to her first acting class in years. This is a bold new direction and hopefully will continue to shift how the show handles its characters. It has done a fascinating job of fitting in with the more progressive views of the time. Megan is definitely a character that embodies it perfectly.

Jon Hamm

Best Scene

Is there any better symbolism for this show this season than Don listening to his first Beatles song? When Megan hands him the record, it is the last ounce of Don's conservative nature. He has listened to very conservative music and has lived a somewhat basic life. However, when the record plays, the sitar goes off and the world begins to spin. It is a great way to summarize how the show has evolved and become something of a more liberal view of business in the 60's. The scene captures a lot of great touches of the revolution to follow during this montage. What does it all mean? It is uncertain, but it is the great unknown that has helped to make the show continue to strive in its fifth season.

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About Me

My name is Thomas Willett. I am a writer based out of Long Beach, CA. I have been writing about movies, TV, and pop culture since 2008. Here are some links to where you can reach me either for comments or potential work: